I was disappointed to find, however, that of the eight restaurants listed, most were in places where you'd generally expect to find food (see previous sentence, re: soda fountains and airport terminals). And, of course, there were no Houston entries.

Which is a shame, really, because Houston almost specializes in wonderful food from weird and wacky places. I've rounded up eight of my own favorites below, in no particular order.

8. Sushi at a gas station

I've gotten a lot of grief over the years for eating at Natto, the Japanese/Chinese restaurant housed inside a lonely-looking Mobil gas station at Jefferson and Hamilton. But the dumplings are great, and the sushi is better than the stuff you'd pick up at a grocery store on the run -- it's freshly cut and rolled to order, although the dubious provenance of the fish undoubtedly turns many people off. I keep coming back, though, because the sushi -- while not ideal -- is cheap and tasty, and it's always served with a genuine smile.

Photo by Troy Fields

A gyro with falafel combines Al's best foodstuffs in one neat package.

7. Gyros at a convenience store

Al's Quick Stop is more or less a Montrose landmark by now. Everyone knows to head there -- not Niko Niko's, just up the street -- when you want a gyro, especially late at night. The convenience store is also conveniently located right next door to Rudyard's, meaning you can enjoy some inexpensive yet tasty falafel and a hookah before beering it up over live music later that night.

What, no Chester Fried chicken, or Buc-ee's Hippo breakfast taco on this list? Kidding, seriously, and I don't remember the name, their is a gas station on Beltway South and S. Gessner that has a cajun place attached to it that makes pretty good cajun food. Came across it while going to the DPS building on S. Gessner a while back.